Addison Hutton

Addison Hutton (1834–1916) was a Philadelphia architect who designed prominent residences in Philadelphia and its suburbs, plus courthouses, hospitals, and libraries, including the Ridgway Library, now Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. He made major additions to the campuses of Westtown School, George School, Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Lehigh University.
Early life and education
Hutton was born on November 28, 1834. He grew up in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. He was the son of Joel Hutton, a Quaker carpenter, and Ann Mains. At an early age, he became fond of the "solid necessities of building" and enjoyed working alongside his father. Like his father, Addison would vary between carpenting and school. A young man named Robert Grimacy gave him lessons in architecture; it was then that Addison Hutton considered it to be a possible direction in his own life.
Career
Hutton studied architecture with Samuel Sloan, a leading Philadelphia architect and author of books on house designs. He supervised construction of the Sloan-designed Longwood in Natchez, Mississippi (1859–62), until construction was abandoned during the American Civil War, stranding Hutton, a pacifist, in the Deep South. He became Sloan's partner in 1864 and was able to bring numerous commissions to their office due to his Quaker connections. By 1868, he had established his own office.
In November 1901, the American Institute of Architects denounced the design competition for the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and urged its members not to participate. Hutton was one of nine architects who submitted designs (his was not selected), and he was expelled from the AIA in February 1902.
Marriage and children
On October 10, 1865, Addison married Rebecca W. Savery, daughter of William Savery and Elizabeth H. Cresson. They had one child, a girl named Mary, who was born September 1, 1869; Mary married James Garrett Biddle. In 1876, Hutton built a house for his family in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, near those of several of his clients. It still stands at the southwest corner of Montgomery and Morris Avenues.
Death and afterward
Hutton died on June 26, 1916, and was buried at Short Creek Meeting House in Jefferson County, Ohio. His granddaughter has written a biography: Elizabeth Biddle Yarnall, Addison Hutton: Quaker Architect, 1834–1916 (Philadelphia: The Art Alliance Press, 1974).
Architectural Works (partial listing)
Colleges, libraries and cultural institutions
1869 Parrish Hall, Swarthmore College's first building, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
1870–78 Ridgway Library, the Library Company of Philadelphia at Broad and Christian Sts., Philadelphia (now Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts)
1874 President's House, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
1874 Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
1876 Friends Boarding School, now Olney Friends School, Barnesville, Ohio
1876 Linderman Library, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1877 Barclay Hall, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania
1878 Public Library, Johnstown, Pennsylvania (destroyed by the 1889 Johnstown Flood)
1879–84 Taylor Hall, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
1879–84 Merion Hall, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
1882 Mauch Chunk Opera House, 14 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
1882 Coppee Hall Gymnasium, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1884–85 Chandler Chemistry Laboratory, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1885 Packer Memorial Chapel, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1885 Friends Select School, 16th and Cherry Sts., Philadelphia
1886 Main Building, Westtown School, West Chester, Pennsylvania
1889 Packer Hall Tower, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1890–92 Carnegie Library, Johnstown, Pennsylvania (now Johnstown Flood Museum)
1891 Renovations to Musical Fund Hall, The Musical Fund Society, 806 Locust Street, Philadelphia
1892 George School, Newtown, Pennsylvania
1897–98 Vail Memorial Library, Lincoln University, Oxford, Pennsylvania
1902 Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St., Philadelphia
Churches
1868 Germantown Friends Meeting House, 47 W. Coulter St., Philadelphia
1869–70 Arch Street United Methodist Church, SE corner Broad and Arch Sts., Philadelphia
1871 Doylestown Presbyterian Church, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
1872 Rectory for Church of the Redeemer, 220 Pennswood Road, Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
1887-1890 Sarah Packer Memorial Building, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Institutional buildings and businesses
1867 Shew Hall, Connecticut Hospital for the Insane, Middletown, Connecticut
1868 Venango County Courthouse, Franklin, Pennsylvania (with Samuel Sloan)
1869 Clinton County Courthouse, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania (with Samuel Sloan)
1869 Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building, Walnut St. and Washington Square, Philadelphia, expanded by Hutton, 1885–86 and 1888; expanded by Frank Furness, 1897–98
1874 Lenape Building, SE corner Main & State Sts., Doylestown, Pennsylvania
1876 Bucks County Intelligencer (newspaper) Building, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
1878 Bucks County Courthouse, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
1884–85 Bucks County Prison (later Pine Street Hotel), 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, Pennsylvania (now James A. Michener Art Museum)
1888–89 Girard Life Insurance Building, NE corner Broad and Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia (demolished 1926)
1890 Pennsylvania Company for Insurance on Lives and Granting Annuities, 517 Chestnut St., Philadelphia (demolished 1950s in the creation of Independence Mall)
1900 Department for the Chronic Insane, first floor plan, Harrisburg State Hospital, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
1901 Design competition for Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (design not selected)
1904 Additions to Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Residences
1862 Henry G. Morris cottage, Newport, Rhode Island
1865-68 "Glenloch" (later called "Lock Aerie"), residence of William E. Lockwood, Lancaster Pike, Frazer, Pennsylvania
1866-1867 Barclay House, West Chester, Pennsylvania
1869 "The Chestnuts", residence of David Scull, 5820 City Ave., Overbrook, Pennsylvania (now home of the Sisters of the Visitation)
1869 "Elm Villa", residence of D. T. Gage, Maple St., Merchantville, New Jersey
1870 "Pembrook Farm", residence of Charles H. Wheeler, 310 Fishers Rd, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
1870 "St. Michel", residence of Francis A. Drexel, Knights Rd., Torresdale, Pennsylvania
1870 "The Four Sisters" Residences: 101, 121, 205 & 221 W. Virginia Ave., West Chester, Pennsylvania
1870 "Braewold", Bedford, New York, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of The Woodpile historic district in 1992
1872 "Cedarcroft", residence of Robert Emmett Monaghan, 413 W. Miner St., West Chester, Pennsylvania
1874 Harry Packer Mansion, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania (now a bed & breakfast)
1875 "Midhope", residence of Prof. James C. Booth, Booth Lane, Haverford Station, Pennsylvania
1876 Addison Hutton's residence, 802 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
1877 "Sylvula", residence of Stephen O. Fuguet, 931 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (renamed "Beechwood" by 1908, now part of The Shipley School)
1877-1878 Charles Thomas House, West Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania
1880 Residence, 3400 Powelton Ave., Philadelphia
1880 Residence for G. M. Rupert, 506 N Church Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania
1880s "Penn Grove", residence of N. Parker Shortridge, Lancaster Ave. & Wynnewood Rd., Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
1880-81 Residence of J. W. Townsend, 825 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA
1881 "Waverly Heights", residence of Samuel Rea, 1400 Waverly Rd., Gladwyne, Pennsylvania (now Wavery Heights Retirement Community)
1881 "Greenway", residence of George Lovell, 235 Pennswood Rd., Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
1882 "Egerton House", residence of Mrs. Edward Scull, 5760 City Ave., Overbrook, Pennsylvania (now residence of the Archbishop of Philadelphia)
1882 James Spear Residence, 244-46 S. 21st St., Philadelphia
1884 "Holmhurst", residence of Charles Hartshorne, Hazelhurst Ave., Merion, Pennsylvania
1884 216 N 34th Street, Philadelphia. Home of George Fletcher. (current home of Theta Chi Fraternity at Drexel University, Philadelphia
1885 "Ballytore", residence of Isaac H. Clothier, 630 Clothier Rd., Wynnewood, Pennsylvania (now St. Sahag-St. Mesrob Armenian Church)
1885 "Torworth", residence of J. C. Strawbridge, School House Ln., Germantown section of Philadelphia (demolished)
c.1885-89 "Roslyn Heights", residence of Stevenson Crothers, Papermill Rd., Erdenheim, Pennsylvania
1887 Residence of Edward B. Fox, 642 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (now on Harcum College's campus)
1890 "Dundale", residence of Theodore Morris, Spring Mill Rd., Villanova, Pennsylvania (now Picotte Hall at Villanova University)
1890 "Hillhurst", residence of John Biddle, 216 S. Orange St., Media, Pennsylvania
1908 Alterations to 44 S Wyoming Ave., Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Gallery
References
Notes
External links
Hutton catalog at the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University
1834 births
1916 deaths
19th-century American architects
American Quakers
Architects from Philadelphia
Burials in Ohio
Lehigh University people
People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania